Things we never would have done: Worked From Home!

We’ve talked about Charming working from home in the past, but we assumed it wouldn’t work with me homeschooling five monkeys in the house all day.

But when Charming’s office decided to close for COVID-19 on March 9th, we were granted a chance to try it out. There’s nothing quite like not having a choice, so you find a way to make it work. :)

There may have been a few surprises that first month… Like Charming gleefully joining an impromptu (and unapproved) wrestling match outside his office. Little did Charming know I was helping Joo-Jee with his Skype piano lesson downstairs and the kids were playing hookie from their schoolwork while Mom was busy.

When Joo-Jee heard the ruckus he was missing, he ditched the piano lesson to join the fun. A very frazzled Heidi ran after him calling for a cease and desist! Charming apologized profusely, Joo-Jee was wrangled back to his lesson and the older boys were duly chastened.

Now we’ve found a pretty good balance of Charming not interrupting homeschool lessons (too much) and us not interrupting his meetings (too much). I laughed a couple of weeks into the new arrangement when Charming hauled his electric guitar stuff into his new office.

“What?” he asked defensively. “I need something to do during long meetings.”

Sure enough, I laugh every time I hear strumming from his office. I feel like someone is going to barge into our house and declare, “A-ha! Imposters! You’re not really working and schooling your children. Guards! Seize them.”

But it never happens! And Charming keeps getting paid. And I keep getting school supplies. And somehow our Barbie dream house is real.

Which means I can sneak in his office when I’m washed up and done for. And while I lay face down on his carpet taking deep breaths, he plays me the blues and sings about our crazy monkey kids until I laugh.

Or when something hysterical happens, I can sneak in and tell him, laughing my head off.